Chapter 20
Spoiled Idol Raised on My Back
“…Jung Jae-yoon.”
Baek Do-ha muttered quietly.
“Why? Who’s that?”
Luha asked.
“The leader of Beat12Y.”
Baek Do-ha added with a faintly bitter look.
“…He used to be one of our members.”
“…What?”
Luha’s pupils widened.
As if it were his own waiting room, Jung Jae-yoon pushed the door open and strode in, sweeping his gaze around before settling lazily onto a sofa.
“Long time no see, right?”
He waved as if greeting old friends, and the first person he smiled at was Choi Eun-bi.
“Oh—uh, yeah! I heard you rejoined an agency… it was VISTA, huh?”
Eun-bi gave a stiff laugh—shock, confusion, and an unconscious sense of distance all showing on her face.
It wasn’t rare for trainees to switch companies.
The idol world was small enough that news always got around—who left, who joined, who was being pushed by which company.
But not knowing that Jung Jae-yoon was debuting under VISTA, right up until just before debut, felt… wrong somehow.
“Oh? Eun-bi noona, you’re a manager now? Wow, really saving labor costs, huh?”
“…What are you doing?”
The cold voice that cut through the air belonged to Cha Eun-gyeol.
His tone, expression, even his eyes—sharper than usual, unlike his normal self.
“Wow~ Hyung, it’s been forever! How’ve you been?”
“Get out. I don’t want to see your face.”
“Aw, come on~ we used to share the same rice pot! Don’t be like that.”
“What, family? You son of a—”
Everyone in the room, even the staff, froze.
Manager Yoon Seo-jun actually dribbled the water he’d been drinking.
For Cha Eun-gyeol to speak first was shocking enough—but to start cursing? Unbelievable.
“Hahaha! J-Jae-yoon, your face looks even sharper now. I saw your last stage—you did great!”
Afraid things might explode, Choi Eun-bi rushed in with a nervous laugh.
“Well… looks are capital these days. If you spend enough, anything’s possible.”
Jung Jae-yoon gave a sly smile—pretending humility, but reeking of arrogance.
“What, your broke little agency can’t even afford plastic surgery?”
That meaning was clear as day.
Not that Lumis’s members needed it anyway.
“…R-Right.”
Eun-bi gave a weak smile.
“Anyway, shouldn’t you guys be getting ready?”
“We’re done. This was our last stop to say hi.”
Jung Jae-yoon answered curtly, then turned his gaze.
“Oh, Do-ha hyung. Did you get cut from main vocal? I heard a rumor you’re performing as main dancer this time?”
“……”
Baek Do-ha pressed his lips together.
Jung Jae-yoon’s eyes slid to Cha Eun-gyeol next.
“Eun-gyeol hyung, you were never main vocal material anyway… well, not that Tae-jin would know anything, right?”
“Shut your mouth and get lost.”
Cha Eun-gyeol’s fists trembled.
What the hell is with this guy?
Even Jin Do-hyun, who’d often been called rude, had his own standards.
But this jerk—no decency, no restraint, just pure arrogance in human form.
“Hey. That’s enough.”
Luha suddenly pulled out the back scratcher hanging over his shoulder and brandished it like a sword—its tip pointed right at Jung Jae-yoon like a brave warrior facing an enemy commander.
The tense air in the waiting room lightened for a brief moment.
“So cute!”
“Luhaaa!”
His serious face didn’t match his chubby cheeks or tiny hands.
The gap between his fierce expression and his adorable looks made some staff’s eyes literally sparkle with affection.
“Ah~”
Jung Jae-yoon smirked at him.
“So this is the kid? You’re really putting a clueless newbie up front? Even if you’re desperate, this is so… Clef-like.”
He shook his head.
“…Jung Jae-yoon. That’s enough. Leave—we need to prepare too.”
Kang I-an, who had been silent until now, stepped forward and said quietly, towering over him.
“Oh~ Kang I-an! You’re still hanging on, huh?”
Jung Jae-yoon sneered.
“Yeah, that’s right. That’s exactly why I left Clef. A useless CEO and a bunch of nobodies for members.”
His gaze slowly swept over Lumis’s members.
Thud—!
A dull sound broke the air.
“You little punk, I’ve had it!”
Cha Eun-gyeol grabbed him by the collar.
“Get the hell out! How dare you show your face here!”
But Jung Jae-yoon didn’t flinch.
He tilted his head slightly, lips curling into a mocking smile.
“What did I do wrong exactly?”
“…What?”
Eun-gyeol’s expression twisted again in disbelief.
Knock knock.
The door opened.
“Jae-yoon, time to get ready.”
Beat12Y’s manager peeked in.
“…Yeah, coming.”
Jung Jae-yoon roughly shoved Eun-gyeol’s hand away, brushed the wrinkles from his jacket, and walked toward the door.
Just before stepping out, he turned his head again.
“Hmm… I was just thinking.”
“…”
“If I hadn’t left Clef—if I’d debuted with Lumis instead—what would’ve happened?”
He paused, then smirked, his lips curling upward.
“I figured it’d be the same. Let’s be honest, none of you have any real skill besides me.”
He tilted his head, smiling that same vile smile.
“An idol that only sells on looks—that’s Lumis to a T. Becoming a flop group was inevitable, don’t you think?”
The room fell silent.
The insult was so outrageous that no one even felt like arguing.
“Still, I’m surprised, though. Didn’t think you’d debut at all.”
He gave a mocking bow.
“Congrats, I guess. You debuted, I debuted—fun, right? Let’s meet often. Ah… unless you disband soon. You’re flops anyway.”
“That bastard—!”
Cha Eun-gyeol lunged.
“Hey! Stop him!”
The others barely managed to hold him back.
“Wow~ well then, take care, everyone~”
With one last crooked grin, Jung Jae-yoon left the room.
“Damn it!!!”
Cha Eun-gyeol kicked the floor hard, his anger exploding.
The others patted his back, suppressing their own rising fury.
“W-What the hell did he just say? Is he insane?”
Choi Eun-bi clutched her head and stomped her feet in frustration.
“…Guys.”
Baek Do-ha’s low voice cut through the chaos.
Everyone turned toward him.
“Today’s stage—we win. No matter what.”
For a moment, all their eyes gleamed with fire.
“Agh… I’m dying…”
Baek Seo-yoon groaned, rubbing her temples. Deep fatigue was etched between her brows.
“How much did you drink? You could’ve held back before recording day.”
Next to her, Han Jin-seo casually handed over an electrolyte drink.
Seo-yoon snatched it like salvation and downed it in one go.
“Haah… You wouldn’t understand, only child. My brother’s getting married late, and the whole family’s gone crazy.”
“Sure, blame it on that.”
Jin-seo chuckled, shaking his head.
Catching her breath, Seo-yoon opened the script.
“Next is… oh, Jin Do-hyun’s group.”
As soon as she said that, Lumis appeared on stage.
The difference from episode 1’s recording was obvious.
Back then, they’d been tense; now, their eyes were filled with determination.
The other five groups soon joined them. A total of six lined up as the opening began.
Pop!
Lights flared, and the MC stepped onto the stage.
“How’s everyone doing?”
“Good!”
Bright voices burst out here and there. Idols waved, made hearts, winked—doing everything for an extra camera second.
“Today is the day of the Position Battle!”
“Oooh!”
“Dun-dun!”
“Position~ battle!”
Overly enthusiastic reactions came from all sides.
The MC nodded in satisfaction.
“After the first episode, we asked all participants to anonymously rate each other’s stages, remember?”
After the <Who We Are> performances, everyone had scored each group anonymously.
“No way!”
“There’s something coming!”
“Where did we rank?”
The idols’ eyes sparkled with excitement.
“Now, we’ll reveal the ranking results from the mutual evaluations of <Who We Are>!”
Boom—!
The giant screen behind the stage lit up.
1st — Starbolt
2nd — Chrome
3rd — Beat12Y
4th — Toybox
5th — Lumis
6th — Spectrum
“Oh!”
“Ah… so close.”
“2nd! We’re 2nd!”
“Starbolt seniors took 1st.”
“They really were amazing.”
Cheers and sighs mixed throughout the hall.
The top two were no surprise—they were established groups already performing well.
But the 3rd place—Beat12Y—left everyone silent.
RE:VIVAL was their debut show.
Their flashy performance, perfect choreography, and stable vocals were far beyond rookie level.
Their 3rd place wasn’t just a ranking—it was a warning to the others.
“…Congratulations.”
The leader of Spectrum whispered quietly beside them.
5th and 6th place—the two “flop” groups sat side by side at the bottom.
Baek Do-ha replied only with a bitter, awkward smile.
“Now, shall we tell you what these rankings actually mean?”
The MC’s voice rang out again.
“Is it for stage order?”
“Then Starbolt will go last?”
“Last is kinda stressful. Maybe they’ll pick 5th?”
“What’s the 1st-place benefit?”
Speculation buzzed among the participants.
The MC smiled, glancing toward the judges.
“Our judges will answer that question.”
“Aah~”
“What, already teasing us?”
“Better than ‘See you after the ads!’ though!”
The idols giggled and murmured.
The MC flipped a cue card and continued smoothly.
“Judge Seorin?”
“Yes.”
A sharp tailored suit, sleek ponytail—
Seorin, a top-tier idol turned powerhouse solo artist, took the mic.
Known since her group days for her solid vocals, she was now an established chart-topper.
“You’ve long been recognized for your strong vocals, even back in your group days. Is there a specific muscle you train to sing well?”
…Muscles? That question came out of nowhere, and everyone turned their heads at once.
“When people think of vocals, they usually think of the throat, abs for breath control, or core muscles.”
Seorin trailed off, then quietly stood up.
She took off her jacket and slowly rolled up her sleeves.
“The most important muscles are the arms! Handheld mics are heavier than you think!”
With a dramatic expression, she flexed her biceps and lifted one arm.
Then, facing the camera dead-on, she smiled and wrinkled her nose playfully—a perfect idol-style self-pose.
“……”
‘What the hell is she talking about…?’
Every idol in the seats blinked in stunned silence.
